The Cellar by John Nicholl
Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense
Read: 8th November 2022
Published: 7th November 2022
★★★★★ 5 stars
DESCRIPTION:
Dark, disturbing and gripping. This is not for the faint of heart.
Nurse. Protégé. Murderer.
Marcus Gove has been all these things. He’s reached the pinnacle of his art and now it’s time for him to take a protégé. Lovely Lucy is perfect for the role, or she will be . . .
Artist. Teacher. Daughter.
Lucy Williams is just like everyone else. She’s had some success as an artist, not so much success in love, but she’s getting by. But soon she’s going to have to become something else if she wants to be a survivor.
Detective. Ex-husband. Underdog.
Ray Lewis’s career isn’t heading anywhere. But he’s a solid detective and he’s determined to find Lucy no matter what the upper brass throw at him.
Three people. Nineteen days. Who will live and who will die?
MY THOUGHTS:
"Three People. Nineteen days. Who will live and who will die?"
Holy guacamole! What have I just read? I thought "The Doctor" (by the same author) was disturbing, but this one...hell, this one takes the cake! It has to be the darkest and most disturbing thriller I've read. So disturbing it's chilling. And yet, I enjoyed every minute of it. John Nicholl has a unique way of writing, bringing his own experiences as a police officer and child protection worker to life through fiction. He has the canny ability of climbing inside a villain's mind to bring us each dark and disturbing detail to life. I only discovered him a few short months ago with "The Doctor" and then the subsequent follow-up books but he has fast become one of my favourite authors. I just know I am going to be in for one hell of a ride and an addictive read whenever I pick up one of his books.
The title THE CELLAR immediately conjures up images we can only imagine...but get ready for a thriller that will blow your mind! If you thought the Doctor was deranged...then meet Marcus Gove.
A former nurse at a high-security psychiatric unit for the criminally insane, Marcus Gove worked with some of the most depraved minds the prison system had no place for. As a protege to one of the patients interred there, Marcus Gove had found his niche. And then as luck would have it, he won the lottery. So he packed in his job, moved to the beautiful West Wales where he bought a secluded Georgian mansion and kitted out with all the tools of his new trade where he could act out his depraved fantasies. His new workplace - the cellar.
Over time, Marcus abducted women from the streets - nameless, faceless women whom no one would miss - and brought them here to the cellar where he shackled them, tortured them and then murdered them with each new fantasy.
And then he saw lovely Lucy.
Talented artist and art lecturer, Lucy Williams is the daughter of local MP Graham Williams. She has just ended a long relationship with partner Andy and her mother is battling cancer. She has also caught the eye of Marcus Gove. So when Lucy receives a letter offering her an opportunity of a lifetime...one that she is eager to accept as it will help build a name for herself. However her mother and sister believe this offer is fraught with too many unknowns and is ultimately too good to be true. Despite this, Lucy meets with the mysterious Moloch to discuss the planned commission.
Having reached the pinnacle of his own art, Marcus feels it is now time to take a protege just as he learned under his own mentor five years before. Lucy is perfect for the role he has in mind...she is destined to be his soulmate. But first, he must reign her in and educate her in her new way of life...working alongside him...as they explore their art together. Now at this psycho’s mercy, Lucy can only hope that she will survive her tormentor before he kills her too.
Thus begins a race against time for the police as they try to discover what exactly happened to Lucy and why she suddenly disappeared. Will they arrive in time to save her? Or will she remain missing forever, like Gove's previous victims?
I honestly have no words to describe this book...except that it is dark, disturbing and incredibly chilling. As I said at the start, I thought "The Doctor" was all that...but this is so much more!
It is, at times, hard to read and it is most definitely NOT for the faint-hearted. You will definitely need a strong stomach for this one. But there is one scene at the end that even I found cringeworthy...not in a bad way, but in an uncomfortable-because-I-can-just-picture-it kind of way. Because seriously, Nicholl pulls no punches in his descriptions and you are literally transported to that cellar and are living the nightmare alongside Lucy, as well as Gove's other victims. It is graphic, but not gory, though it is enough to give you a picture of what is exactly happening. And here I am reading it before bed!
It goes without saying that John Nicholl is now one of my favourite authors. I love how he tells the story from the villain's POV, as well as the victim's, so you can get an insight into their way of thinking, no matter how distorted, deluded or disturbed it may be. And Gove is clearly off his rocker! But boy, does Nicholl portray him well.
Overall, THE CELLAR is a fast paced addictive read that is compelling and page-turning throughout. And once you are in the cellar, there is no getting out...at least, not until it's finished!
Another 5 star read by John Nicholl!
I would like to thank #JohnNicholl, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #TheCellar in exchange for an honest review.
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